This connection does not prove that the CIA was involved in drug trafficking, but it sure does raise suspicion.But it does smack of what the CIA was doing back in the 1980’s.Gary Webb reported on this in 1996:

Webb’s death in 2004 had its roots in his fateful decision eight years earlier to write a three-part series for the San Jose Mercury News that challenged a potent conventional wisdom shared by the elite U.S. news organizations – that one of the most shocking scandals of the 1980s just couldn’t possibly be true.

Webb’s “Dark Alliance” series, published in August 1996, revived the decade-old allegations that the Reagan administration in the 1980s had tolerated and protected cocaine smuggling by its client army of Nicaraguan rebels known as the contras.

Though substantial evidence of the contra crimes had surfaced in the mid-1980s…..the major news outlets had refused to take the disclosures seriously.

For instance, reflecting the dominant attitude toward Kerry and his work on the contra-cocaine scandal, Newsweek dubbed the Massachusetts senator a “randy conspiracy buff.”

Thus, the truth of the contra-cocaine scandal was left in that netherworld of uncertainty, largely proven with documents and testimony but never accepted by Official Washington, including its premier news organizations, such as the New York Times and the Washington Post.

But Webb’s series thrust the scandal back into prominence by connecting the contra-cocaine trafficking to the spread of crack that ravaged Los Angeles and other American urban centers in the 1980s.

This reporting put what the CIA was doing into the spotlight, but the corporate press decided it would be better to bury Webb (and Senator Kerry’s reports) than to face the truth.And not only did the transport and sale of cocaine do a lot of damage in Nicaragua, it also did a lot of damage in the USA also.And they don’t care!And for telling the truth, Gary Webb had his professional life ruined.

The real question is – are they doing the same things today?Is the CIA running a drug running business to get money for other evil uses?I do know that the area of Mexico near the US border is having a huge number of murders related to the drug trade.I do know that Afghanistan has exploded in the amount of opium that they are growing since the US military showed up in 2003.I do know that the ‘war on drugs’ in Columbia is resulting in more and more cocaine being exported.

This is an excellent article on Gary Webb and his reporting on the CIA contras drug trafficking– and how he and his reporting was vilified by the corporate press.And, even today, the corporate press fails to uncover what is really going on in our world and in our government.Instead they focus on stupid things like celebrity crimes and family tragedies – and assist in destroying our country and our democracy by their failures.And they never say they are sorry or that they were wrong.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Jewish Voice for Peace joins millions around the world, including the 1,000 Israelis who protested in the streets of Tel Aviv this weekend, in condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. We call for an immediate end to attacks on all civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli.

Israel's slow strangulation of Gaza through blockade has caused widespread suffering to the 1.5 million people of Gaza due to lack of food, electricity, water treatment supplies and medical equipment. It is a violation of humanitarian law and has been widely condemned around the world.

In resisting this strangulation, Hamas resumed launching rockets and mortars from Gaza into southern Israel, directly targeting civilians, which is also a war crime. Over the years, these poorly made rockets have been responsible for the deaths of 15 Israelis since 2004.

Every country, Israel included, has the right and obligation to protect its citizens. The recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza shows that diplomatic agreements are the best protection for civilian life.

Moreover, massive Israeli air strikes have proven an indiscriminate and brutal weapon. In just two days, the known death toll is close to 300, and the attacks are continuing. By targeting the infrastructure of a poor and densely populated area, Israel has ensured widespread civilian casualties among this already suffering and vulnerable population.

This massive destruction of Palestinian life will not protect the citizens of Israel. It is illegal and immoral and should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. And it threatens to ignite the West Bank and add flames to the other fires burning in the Middle East and beyond for years to come.

The timing of this attack, during the waning days of a US administration that has undertaken a catastrophic policy toward the Middle East and during the run-up to an Israeli election, suggests an opportunistic agenda for short-term political gain at an immense cost in Palestinian lives. In the long run this policy will benefit no-one except those who always profit from war and exploitation. Only a just and lasting peace, achieved through a negotiated agreement, can provide both Palestinians and Israelis the security they want and deserve.

Some actions you can take:

Contact the US White House to protest the attack and demand an immediate cease-fire. Call 202-456-1111 or send an email to comments@whitehouse.gov.

Contact the State Department at 202-647-6575

Contact your Representative and Senators in Congress at 202-224-3121

Contact your local media by phoning into a talk show or writing a letter to the editor.

I will do all of the above (already did the first one). It seems to me that the bigger the crime, the more likely you are to get away with it. This seems to be working in finance and in world affairs. It is time we did something to stop it.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

In July 2003, Bush stood in front of a bunch of so-called “journalists” from the USA and declared that he had no choice about going into Iraq, since Saddam did not let the UN weapons inspectors back into the country.NO ONE CONFRONTED HIM OR CORRECTED HIM ON THIS OBVIOUS LIE.I wrote a letter to the local paper at the time commenting on how sad it was that the dictator Saddam could OUT-TRUTH our president.

And it has happened several other times since then.Bush has made the claim that UN weapons inspectors were not allowed into Iraq – and each time, the corporate media idiots just let it pass.My guess is that Bush lies so much that he gets confused as to what are lies and what is the truth.

But, one would think, after all these years that our corporate media idiots would stop letting such OBVIOUS lies go unchallenged.One would think ….. wrongly.

Just this month, Bush again made the claim that UN weapons inspectors were not allowed into Iraq by Saddam.And yet again, a corporate media idiot, Charles Gibson in this case, did not challenge him.Instead, he pretended like Bush never said what he said.

Here’s the quote:

GIBSON: If the intelligence had been right, would there have been an Iraq War?

BUSH: Yes, because Saddam Hussein was unwilling to let the inspectors go in to determine whether or not the U.N. resolutions were being upheld.

It is just unbelievable that these corporate media idiots would act like such suck up whores even as Bush is leaving office and the Republicans are out of power.Do they have any self-respect at all?Telling the truth about our government and CIA can get you kicked off the career ladder, (see upcoming post on Gary Webb) but if you don’t want to tell people the truth, then why be a journalist at all?

And, just to show that they can be suck up whores to the Bush administration also, the Washington Post praised Gibson’s interview with Bush and failed to note the obvious lie that Bush told.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Photo:Bodies of Palestinians are seen at Shifa hospital in Gaza December 27, 2008. Israel's air force fired about 30 missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, destroying several Hamas police compounds and killing more than 140 people, medical officials and witnesses said. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA)

Photo:An Israeli F16 fighter jet lands at air base near the border after a bombing raid in Gaza December 27, 2008. Israel's air force fired about 30 missiles at targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, destroying several Hamas police compounds and killing more than 140 people, medical officials and witnesses said. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (ISRAEL)

As Michael Franti said:The F-16 is a homicide bomber.

Photo:Lebanon's Hezbollah supporters and Palestinians in a Beirut suburbs shout slogans during a protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza December 27, 2008. Israeli warplanes and helicopters pounded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 195 people in one of the bloodiest days in the Palestinians' conflict with Israel. REUTERS/ Issam Kobeisy (LEBANON)

Photo:Protesters shout anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans during a demonstration against Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip in Amman December 27, 2008. Israeli warplanes and helicopters pounded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 195 people in one of the bloodiest days in the Palestinians' conflict with Israel. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN)

++++++++

Death toll is now over 220.Were these policemen the ones who fired the rockets?I doubt it.And I doubt that they could have done anything about it.Recently, the rocket firers hit two Palestinian girls and killed them.It is beyond stupid and very evil for them to fire rockets at Israel.

But is it vastly more evil for Israel to do this in response, and vastly more stupid too.It will only result in a continuation of the violence.

Last night I had two dreams – one where I and some local friends (about 8 in total) were on trial and facing jail for civil disobedience.I did not dream exactly what it was that we had done, but it was clear that we were trying for some public attention to ongoing human rights abuses by our own government.And we were very much in solidarity with one another – we knew that if this was just one or two people, then the media would ignore it.But since it was about 8 of us, they were paying attention.It was also clear that we were going to serve prison sentences for the civil disobedience.

And the second dream was much weirder – there was some evil spirit in a very large building, with multiple adults and children running around.There were some police there too – although they seemed to be hanging out in a safe room and not going after the evil person.The problem was that the evil spirit would move from person to person – actually, from child to child.Capturing it was going to be impossible, and killing off the child who had the evil spirit may only end up with an innocent dead, since the spirit could move to another child in an instant.Besides, we didn’t always know right away which child ‘held’ the evil spirit until they started acting violently.And it was frightening, because this spirit wanted to kill people and torture them.

I have been having an ominous feeling of dread, of impending doom, for weeks now.In my personal life, things are going fine.I had a nice holiday season, and made it to some parties and dances – and got lots of sleep.I had time for long walks.I figured out months ago that the best we can expect from Obama is a continuation of the Clinton administration….. and that is an improvement, but far from an ideal outcome.And I long ago figured out that the economy is going to get very bad – but, as long as I have a job, I personally won’t suffer much directly.I have been bumping into more and more people who are homeless, and I read in the paper today that the state employees health plan (that covers me) is running out of money – again, not much of a concern, since I am healthy.

But something dreadful is going to happen, and then things are going to get much worse.I can just feel it.I don’t know if it has anything to do with this bombing of Gaza, or with Obama inauguration.I suspect not.But I think my dreams are warnings of what is to come.

Evil is walking on the land……. And looking for a home (person) to reside in – or maybe has already found such a person or persons.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Photos featuring US President George W. Bush (R) with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) are covered in shoes left by demonstrators who marched to the US embassy to protest in Ankara. The Iraqi journalist arrested for throwing his shoes at Bush has written to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki apologising over the incident, Maliki's office said on Thursday.

Donated shoes labeled with names of Iraqis who died during the war in Iraq are displayed during a protest in front of the White House in Washington December 17, 2008. REUTERS/Molly Riley (UNITED STATES)REUTERS/MOLLY RILEY

Journalists display their shoes and carry a poster of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi during a demonstration in Khartoum December 18, 2008. The journalists were taking part in the rally in support of al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a news conference in Iraq on December 14, 2008. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (SUDAN)REUTERS/MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH

Palestinians from the Popular Resistance Committees, one holding a shoe and a picture of President Bush, attend a demonstration calling for the release of the Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi, in GazaCity, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008. Sign on the left reads ''Thanks to Muntadar al-Zeid's right hand'.An Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi threw his shoes at President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad on Sunday, while yelling in Arabic: 'This is a farewell kiss, you dog, this is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.'

Palestinian journalists stage a bare-foot protest in Bethlehem to show solidarity with the Iraqi reporter who hurled his shoes at US President George W. Bush. The Iraqi journalist arrested for throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush has written to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki apologising over the incident, Maliki's office said on Thursday.

An effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush burns as university students rally in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008, to demand the release of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi, from custody in Iraq. The Iraqi journalist al-Zeidi threw his shoes at President George W. Bush on Sunday, and is due to appeare before a judge Wednesday in the first step of a complex legal process that could end in a criminal trial, a government official said.

A Lebanese communist party activist takes part in a protest in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Beirut December 18, 2008 demanding the release of Iraqi TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi. Zaidi shot to fame when he called Bush a "dog" in Arabic at a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad last Sunday and threw both his shoes at Bush, a gesture that is a deep insult in the Arab world REUTERS/Jamal Saidi

A protester displays a shoe stuck to a picture of U.S. President George W. Bush during a protest in Amman December 20, 2008. Protesters on Saturday showed their support for detained Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent news conference in Iraq. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN)REUTERS/MUHAMMAD HAMED

Muslim activists shows their shoes during a protest in front of the U.S. consulate in Medan, North Sumatra province, December 19, 2008. Dozens of activists gathered in protest to demand the release of Iraqi TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent news conference in Iraq, from jail. REUTERS/YT Haryono (INDONESIA)REUTERS/STRINGER/INDONESIA

Media activists and protesters display shoes as they demonstrate in Cairo December 18, 2008. They were showing their support for detained Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent news conference in Iraq. REUTERS/Amr Dalsh (EGYPT)REUTERS/AMR DALSH

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez demonstrate in front of the US embassy in Caracas on December 19, 2008 in support of the Iraqi journalist held for throwing his footwear at US President George W. Bush. Demonstrators around the world are voicing support for the 'courageous' journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, who has been in custody in Baghdad since Sunday's dramatic shoe protest which made him an instant sensation in the Arab world. AFP PHOTO/Juan BARRETO (Photo credit should read JUAN BARRETO/AFP/Getty Images)

Activists of Pakistan Shabab-e-Milli burn a US flag and effigy of US President George W. Bush during a protest in Karachi on December 21, 2008, in support of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said that it is for the courts to determine what action if any should be taken against the journalist who thew his shoes at US President George W. Bush. AFP/PHOTO/Rizwan TABASSUM (Photo credit should read RIZWAN TABASSUM/AFP/Getty Images)

A protestor holds a poster of US President George W. Bush ducking after Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi threw his shoes at him during a protest in the Jordanian capital Amman on December 20, 2008 in support of arrested Zaidi.

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The 29 year-old journalist threw his shoes at Bush at a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on December 14 during the US leader's farewell visit to Iraq, in an incident that became an instant sensation in the Arab world.

Demonstrators from the All India Democratic Youth Organisation and various student organisations shout slogans during a protest in Kolkata on December 19, 2008, demanding the release of Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi who threw his shoes to US President George W. Bush in Iraq. The Iraqi journalist arrested for throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush has written to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki apologising over the incident, Maliki's office said December 18. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Members and activists of Hungarian Communist Workers Party build a pile of shoes in front of the US Embassy of Budapest on December 20, 2008 during their demonstration to protest the arrest of Iraqi journalist Montasser Al-Saidi. The press member threw his shoes at US President George W. Bush and called him a 'dog' in Arabic, during a press conference in Baghdad on December 14. Bush, who was on a farewell visit to Iraq, was addressing the press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki when the assault took place. The assailant a reporter for al-Baghdadiyia television, was removed from the room by security staff. None of the two projectiles made contact with their apparent target. AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK (Photo credit should read ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

Protesters gather outside the US embassy in central London holding shoes on the end of pieces of wood on December 19, 2008, to ask for the release of Muntazer al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist arrested for throwing his shoes at US President George W. Bush. Journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi, 29, has been in custody in Baghdad since Sunday's dramatic shoe protest against Bush, which made him an instant sensation in the Arab world. AFP PHOTO/Shaun Curry (Photo credit should read SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images)

An Egyptian activist gestures during a demonstration in Cairo, in front of a banner supporting detained Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-Zaidi who hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush during a recent news conference in Iraq, December 18, 2008. REUTERS/Amr Dalsh (EGYPT)REUTERS/AMR DALSH

"Falsehood has an infinity of combinations, but truth has only one mode of being." ~ Jean Jacques Rousseau

"Some of us live and some of us dieSomeday God's going to tell us whyOpen your heart and grow with what life sendsWe'll meet again at the festival of friends." ~ Bruce Cockburn

"Lord of the Starfields, Ancient of DaysUniverse Maker, Here's a song in your praiseVoice of the Nova, Smile of the DewAll of our yearning only comes home to you!O Love that fires the sun, keep me burning." ~ Bruce Cockburn

Friday, December 19, 2008

In Israel, there is a group of young adults who are refusing to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. On December 18th, they (at least, the ones not in jail) delivered all the signatures that they collected that asked the Minister of Defense to release these conscientious objectors go free. The letter that they collected signatures on is here:

I support the Shministim and their right to peacefully object to military service. I call for the release of those teenagers who have been jailed for their principled refusal to serve in an army which occupies the Palestinian Territories. The imprisonment of these conscientious objectors is a violation of their human rights and contrary to International Law.

I am inspired by these caring students and their counterparts in Palestine, whose nonviolent resistance to the Occupation points the way to a just peace and security for all people in the region. They are our best hope for the future. I urge you to heed them, and not punish them.

When we arrived, the first thing we saw was box after box after box after box lined up on the street. These were the letters and postcards that had been generated by the international campaign, over 20,000 in total.

US service members who have refused to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan wrote a statement in support of the Shministim. That article is here.

I read a report on these young Israeli resisters on The Global Report radio show - I don't know if it made it on the air, but you can read The Global Report website here, and the article is under 'commentary'. And here is a short video on the Shministim:

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The song called “The Internationale” is a socialist, anarchist, communist and social-democratic anthem and (according to Wikipedia) one of the most recognized songs of the world.

Well, I didn’t know about it, and still have not heard it.But, I like the lyrics, so I am going to reprint the first two stanzas here.It seems like a very good song for a revolution.They say it is traditionally sung with the hand raised in a clenched fist salute.

Arise, wretched of the earthArise, convicts of hungerReason thunders in its volcanoThis is the eruption of the endOf the past let us wipe the slate cleanMasses, slaves, arise, ariseThe world is about to change its foundationWe are nothing, let us be allThis is the final struggleLet us gather together, and tomorrowThe InternationaleWill be the human race.

There are no supreme savioursNeither God, nor Caesar, nor tribune..Producers, let us save ourselvesDecree the common welfareThat the thief return his plunder,That the spirit be pulled from its prisonLet us fan the forge ourselvesStrike the iron while it is hotThis is the final struggleLet us stand together, and tomorrowThe InternationaleWill be the human race.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Dr. Dahlia Wasfi was born to a Jewish mother and an Iraqi father. She recently put her medical career on hold to visit with family members in Iraq, and recently returned from a three-month stay in Basrah and Baghdad. Dr. Wasfi described her experience in Iraq and discussed the life of Iraqis under occupation on April 27, 2006 in Washington, DC.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The first photo came from Yahoo News, and shows the shoe thrower in action. The other photo is a close up of him from BBC News.

This is what he said as he threw the shoes:

This is a gift from the Iraqis. This is the farewell kiss, you dog.This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.

I agree totally with his sentiments. I am going to take a picture of the soles of my shoes, put the photo on a postcard I made from card stock paper, add the same message as the Iraqi journalist, and mail it to the White House. Postage is 27 cents, and the address is: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC 20500. I hope you join me.

This man is a hero in Iraq and around the world. He certainly has more guts than all the American journalists combined. He has more honesty too.

I admire him. He had the chance to speak the truth to bush, and he did it. I hope I have the chance to speak the truth to bush to his face one day. I will tell him that he is not worthy of licking dog shit up off the sidewalk.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Iraqi policemen rush a child wounded in a bomb attack into a hospital in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad December 11, 2008. A suicide bomber killed 46 people and wounded nearly 100 on Thursday in a crowded restaurant near Iraq's ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk, shattering the calm during a major Muslim holiday, police said.

REUTERS/Akoo Rasheed (IRAQ)

Yes, Iraq is still a US-made hell hole, and will be for decades. The place has been destroyed and the US has achieved another genocide. And it looks like Americans will let the politicians get away with it.

There is an update on local events in our area on the WNC Peace Coalition blog. And there are plenty more photos like this on the Faces of Grief blog. And tomorrow I will post on my ideas to impress on Mr. Bush just how much evil he had done in Iraq.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

December 10th marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.This blog post is dedicated to that important document.

"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: its Origin, its Evolution, and its Promise," was the title of a presentation given by Professor Paul Magnarella at Warren Wilson College this past Monday evening.Professor Magnarella is the Director of Peace & Justice studies for WarrenWilsonCollege.These are my notes from the presentation:

FDR gave a famous speech in 1941 called the ‘Four Freedoms’ speech.He proposed that all people should have freedom of speech, freedom to worship as one chooses, and freedom from fear and freedom from want.These freedoms formed the basis for a human rights agenda.

In 1945, the UN charter was ratified by 60 countries.Today, there are 190+ countries that have ratified the UN charter.In 1946, Eleanor Roosevelt chaired a Commission on Human Rights.It was an aspirational, not a legally binding document, but it was the first international document to promote the dignity of all people around the world.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, for the first time, said that all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political, social, were recognized for all people, everywhere.Discrimination or mistreatment is not allowed for race, color, sex, religion, language political or other opinions, property, birth or other status.

Articles 3 – 31 cover civil and political rights.Articles 22 – 27 cover economic, social, and cultural rights, including the right to participate in cultural life of the community.Articles 28 – 29 cover the right to social and international order and the duty to respect the rights and dignity of others.

Some countries have made the Universal Declaration of Human Rights part of their constitutions, and that means the Universal Declarations have reached the stage of customary law.So far, this Universal Declaration and other covenants have not been ratified by the US Congress; therefore they cannot be invoked in a court of law.

Individuals can submit complaints to the UN Human Rights Committee after exhausting local and national avenues of redress – but this is not true in the USA.

Items included under the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights include the right to an adequate standard of living, health, education, food, family, life, housing, social security, and water.This has been ratified by 156 countries, but not by the USA.

Other Human Rights Conventions include the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination: convention against torture and other degrading treatment; and convention on elimination of discrimination against women.The USA has not ratified this convention.

The Convention on Rights of the Child – the USA and Somalia are the only two countries who have not ratified this convention.And that is the last of my notes on Professor Magnarella’s talk.

From the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights webpage:

THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS TURNS 60

As the world celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay says the historic document offers hope for the future and urges continuous efforts to make the Declaration a reality to all.More ...

And, in an email from Center for Constitutional Rights, they talk about how they are promoting human rights in two court cases right here in the USA:

Today, CCR argued the case of innocent Canadian rendition victim Maher Arar in federal court. Maher was changing planes at JFK on his way home when he was sent to Syria to be tortured, interrogated and kept in a tiny underground cell for a year - the U.S. officials responsible, including John Ashcroft and FBI head Robert Mueller, want to keep his case out of court.

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear the case of Jamal Iqbal, one of hundreds of Muslim, Arab and South Asian men rounded up in the New York area after 9/11 based on their religion and race. Ashcroft v. Iqbal is a companion case to CCR's class action, Turkmen v. Ashcroft, on behalf of the men swept up on minor immigration charges and kept in abusive conditions until they were cleared of any connection to terrorism. Muslim immigrants were treated as guilty of terrorism until proven innocent, and again, the U.S. officials responsible want to keep the case out of court.

As they say in their email “Accountability must be a cornerstone to any human rights agenda.” Here in the USA, we clearly have a long way to go.

Progressive Democrats of NC held their annual meeting in Greensboro this past weekend.Here is my report on the meeting.I always learn something about progressive issues in the state of NC from these meetings.

FRIDAY

Friday evening started with introductions which included what organizations people are working for or working with.Across NC, many folks have various talents and different interests in various progressive issues.We then had dinner combined with bylaw revisions and election of officers.Pete MacDowell gave a brief synopsis of development of Progressive Democrats in NC (the organization PDNC started in June 2004).He talked about the H K on J movement, and how Hispanic rights and gay rights have made some progress in our state.

Pete said that the Obama victory lead us out of the dark tunnel of the Bush years into incredibly difficult economic times.Pete did not feel that Obama or Purdue can do this alone – he stressed need to continue to work on people’s agenda via the H K on J organizations.Pete talked about Delmas Parker’s principles and about the need to apply them to NC Democratic Party. He talked about the need for transparency on money flowing to Democratic candidates in NC.He also said that we need to do away with gerrymandering that results in less than half of the NC House seats being contested.This results in 15 to 18 of the districts (which are contested) getting large amounts of money pouring in.

Some concerns mentions are growing the grassroots, engaging Obama supporters, how to get the party platform and resolutions transformed into legislative actions, and concern that young adults were not part of PDNC.

Isaac Coleman talked about the “Campaign for Change” needed for this organization, and that we need to stop stressing “Democrats” and start focusing on change – the kind of change that Obama promoted.Someone pointed out that issues of re-districting (and other issues mentioned) are not that interesting to young adults.Another participant talked about the Military Commissions Act, Patriot Act, Bankruptcy Act, and how we need to get back to the “rule of law”.He felt that the issue of impeachment is where the Democratic party really fell down and became complicit in the crimes of the Bush administration.

Tim Carpenter, Director of Progressive Democrats of America, said that PDA is growing because the Democratic Party threw Kucinich and Dean under the bus and many people see the Democratic Party as corrupt.He said there are 72 members of the Progressive Caucus in the US House of Representatives, and a couple of them are on PDA’s board of directors.Tim talked about street heat and how that needs to be changed into heat inside the halls of Congress.He talked about the DCCC and how PDA went up against those folks.

H K on J march will be on February 14, 2009.That is the time for all the progressives in the state to come together to promote the 14 human rights positions that this organization supports.Tim felt that this is when we need to promote and work on a single payer health care (House bill 676) and the “Healthcare not Warfare” promotion.Tim will return for the H K on J march and will bring flyers for this promotion in order to get citizens of NC to pressure their Congress members to be co-signers on this bill.

SATURDAY

I arrived a bit late, due to a wrong turn on the unfamiliar streets, but I did arrive in time to hear Dr. Michael Schwalbe’s talk on “The Meaning of the Election and New Tasks for the Progressive Movement”.And once again, PDNC had an outstanding speaker at it’s annual meeting (and there were a couple more beside Dr. Schwalbe).Dr. Schwalbe is a Professor of Sociology at NC State.He spoke about successful social organizing, and said that social movements do not thrive on public events alone – there needs to be a core of folks doing the grunt work.He talked about ten points of social movements, and – sorry – I did not catch all ten points.But here are a few I did catch:

-we need to act collectively to enact change

-social movements need to raise costs of continuing with the same conditions

-triggering events will often set off a movement, and he said that we often don’t realize what was a triggering event until later.It is possible that the severe financial problems that we are facing, or the Obama campaign itself, will turn out to be a triggering event.

Dr. Schwalbe spoke about the health policies of Obama and how it is not getting rid of the profit motive.He also spoke about how mass protests are managed today versus the way they were managed in the 1930’s or even the 1960’s.After his speech, I asked Dr. Schwalbe to write up an article on his ten points of social movements and publish them on Common Dreams or PDNC blog.He published an article “You Might Be A Progressive If….” on Common Dreams earlier this year.His most recent book is Rigging the Game: How Inequality Is Reproduced in Everyday Life (Oxford, 2008).

The next speaker was Elaine Mejia, who is the Director of the NC Budget and TaxCenter at the NC JusticeCenter.She spoke on “The Economic Crisis for North Carolina”.She said that the recent recovery of the economy (the last seven years) has not helped most people – income has not gone up, jobs have decreased, and income disparity has increased.Therefore, most NC families are not ready to face this new recession.The poverty rate has gone up and health insurance coverage has gone down (17.2% of NC has no health insurance).In the 1990’s the job market was growing, and income equality went slightly down.She said this was due to federal trade policies, tax policies, and federal fiscal policies.During this time, corporate profits went up.

Unemployment is now at 7% in NC, which is the highest it has been in 18 years.Ms. Mejia said that their center looks at under-employment, which is now at 12.5% in NC, with 20% of that group having under-employment for more than six months.She recommended putting money into transportation, increasing the earned income credit and increasing the minimum wage.She said that NC now has $800 million dollars in emergency funds – which is what Hurricane Floyd cost us.Their website is www.ncjustice.org.You can sign up for legislative alerts there.

We had a session where we broke into small groups and held discussions on what to do next.My small group only had some general ideas, such as better organization and getting more involved and more visibility for H K on J march (more on that later).

After a great lunch, Tim Carpenter of Progressive Democrats of America was the next outstanding speaker.He talked about the beginnings and evolution of the progressive movement, and mentioned the Healthcare not Warfare campaign.He said we spent $120 million in Iraq since this morning, and this money could be better spent on meeting human needs here at home.(And beyond the financial cost of the war on Iraq, there is the human cost of hundreds of thousands of lives lost and millions of lives ruined.)Tim talked about how Obama is about “change” but the question is ‘what kind of change do we want to see?’He said that Obama has met with Senator Kennedy for health care plan discussions.Tim said that in Massachusetts, they did not get universal health care but instead got a low cost health insurance program.It is not “single-payer”.

The next speaker was Dr. Nolo Martinez of the Center for New North Carolinians at UNC-G. His talk was on “The Immigration Crack Down Crisis and the New Civil Rights Struggle”.He said that in NC, not one single aspect of our lives is not impacted by immigrants.We have the fastest growing Latino population in the country.Some NC farmers are organizing against anti-immigration efforts because those immigrants work for them.Current NC law (enacted in the 1920’s) says that you need ten full time year round employees in order for workman’s compensation laws to kick in.If the number is less than ten, then there is no coverage for employees for workman’s compensation. Dr. Martinez told the story of a NC librarian who was literally taken from her car and deported for a driver’s license violation.She had her three children in the car with her.The librarian was sent back to a country where she has not lived since she was two years old.Obviously, this is both immoral and ridiculous, since she was not a criminal or a threat to our community.

Dr. Marinez said that immigration reform does not include just Latinos, and that immigration is the fabric of our country.He stressed that we need to stop hate speech and give NC kids who are immigrants the ability to attend higher education courses with in-state tuition.He hopes that Obama will put an immediate stop to the raids on immigrants.He felt that immigrants need more connection and collaboration with African-American groups, since Latinos cannot stand alone.

The next speaker was Dr. Jarvis Hall, who spoke on the H K on J march.This will be held on J Street in Raleigh on February 14, 2009.H stands for ‘historic’ and K stands for ‘thousands’.J stands for ‘J Street’.This event is organized under the NC NAACP, and they have a 14 point agenda.Dr. Hall said that they have written up and proposed legislation on all 14 points.They have a total of 83 legislative items in Raleigh, but that a lot of these items did not make it out of committee, and 56% of the action items did not receive full consideration in legislature.The report card is on the website for H K on J.

The H K on J march is promoted as “a movement – not a moment” and this year will be the third annual march on the NC State House.Dr. Hall mentioned how some of our legislators did some wonderful things – like Rep. Pricy Harrison.Rep. Harrison spoke for a minute at this point and said that she did not care about getting re-elected – she cared about doing the right thing.She said that when she promoted legislation that was fair to undocumented immigrants (I think she was referring to legislation on in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, but I am not sure.) she got hundreds of hate mail, emails, and phone calls.A lot of them were from out of town.Dr. Hall ended by saying that we need to apply street heat not only in downtown Raleigh, but in our home towns also.

Dan Besse, who was the endorsed candidate for Lt. Governor by PDNC, spoke on the primary race earlier in the year and about how much was spent.Hampton Dilllinger spent $1.2 million, Walter Dalton spent $1.4 million, and the other candidates spent between $50,000 to $100,000.Walter Dalton won the primary for Lt. Governor.A friend of mine turned to me after these numbers came out and said that it is ridiculous that we spend so much money on a campaign when there are so many hurting people here in NC.Mr. Besse also had information on what campaign tactics worked best.

The final panel discussion was started, and the members were Delmas Parker, Kevin Smith, Ricardo Velasquez, Danni Montgomery, Luke Hyde, and David Parker (no relation to Delmas Parker).

Delmas has served as 2nd vice chair of the NC Democratic Party (NCDP) for several years and has been with the Progressive Democrats since the beginning.Mr. Smith is the president of the African American Caucus of the NCDP.Mr. Velasquez is the president of the Hispanic Caucus of the NCDP.Ms. Montgomery is the 1st vice chair of the NCDP, and is running for the position of chair.Mr. Hyde is the chair of the 11th Congressional District for the NCDP.Mr. Hyde is running for chair of the NCDP.

Delmas talked about his proposed “Principles for the NC Democratic Party” which was endorsed by the executive committee of the Progressive Democrats of NC.Some of those principles include building the party from the precinct up, allowing issues to come from the grassroots, and becoming an open and transparent in regards to fundraising by posting all the information online.Another great idea he had is to hold virtual State Executive Committee meetings and our conventions via distance learning.Our state is quite wide, and it is difficult for the remote counties to stay tuned in to the main NC Democratic Party.

Delmas described three parties inside the Democratic Party in NC:there are regular grassroots members represented by more than 700 people on the State Executive Committee, the legislative party and the party of the governor.He said that Jerry Meek was elected in spite of the support for the other candidate from all the high level Democrats in the state with the exception of the Insurance Commissioner Jim Long.Delmas also talked about how the resolutions passed by the NC Democratic Party need to be acted on by our legislature and elected officials, and not die on the NCDP website.(This has been a big factor in my disillusionment of the NCDP and the national Democratic Party.It seems the grassroots has some very good ideas, which they work hard to pass as resolutions, and then the resolutions get totally ignored.)

Delmas went on to say that we need campaign finance reform – at this time, anyone can donate any amount to the Democratic Party and the leaders of the state house and state senate can decide who to give the money to – with no limits and no accountability.

The panel was finished by candidates for the next Chair of the Democratic Party speaking about their plans and goals for the NCDP.I was taken back by Mr. Hyde describing Rep. Shuler as a moderate, when he is pretty conservative.I think that this error comes from the mistaken idea that Bush & Cheney and their administration are “conservative” when actually they are war-mongering, fiscally irresponsible fascists.Of course, this is part of the national delusion.I have to say that Ms. Montgomery impressed me more with her dedication to working for the party and for her ideas about where the party needs to go in the future.

It was a great meeting, and many thanks to the organizers for putting this together.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Photo was taken at the School of the America's Watch in November in Fort Benning Georgia.

I spent the past weekend in Greensboro going to the Progressive Democrats of NC conference. It was quite informative, and I will have a report up in a day or two.

I have gotten pages of signatures for the "Close the SOA" petition lately, and I have collected materials for hygiene kits for Haiti (a project of the American Friends Service Committee). I took 24 hygiene kits to AFSC house in High Point, NC. There are a lot of Friends meeting houses and schools in High Point and Greensboro.

Upcoming events in the area this week are listed on the WNC Peace Coalition blog. I will go to the presentation at Warren Wilson College tomorrow night, and likely go to the movie at UU church on Friday night. See you there!

Mohsin Suleiman Al-Ajeely: PhD in agronomy, lecturer in the College of Agronomy, Hilla University. Killed 24 December 2005.

Fleih Al-Gharbawi: Lecturer in the College of Medicine. Killed in Hilla (capital of the province of Babylon, 100 kilometers south of Baghdad) 20 November 2006 by armed men. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi sources, 20 November 2006.]

Ali Al-Grari (or Garar): Professor at Hilla University. He was shot dead 20 November 2006 by armed men in a vehicle on the freeway between Hilla and Baghdad. [Source: Iraqi police sources cited by Reuters, 20 November 2006,

AT-TAMIMKirkuk University

Ahmed Izaldin Yahya: Lecturer in the College of Engineering, Kirkuk University. Killed by a car bomb in the vicinity of his home in Kirkuk, 16 February 2007. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources, 17 February 2007.]

Hussein Qader Omar: professor and Dean of Kirkuk University’s College of Education Sciences. Killed in November 20, 2006 by shots made from a vehicle in the city center. An accompanying colleague was injured. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources, November 21, 2006, and Iraqi Police Sources cited by Reuters, 20 November 2006.].

Sabri Abdul Jabar Mohammed: Lecturer at the College of Education Sciences at Kirkuk University. Found dead 1 November 2007 in a street in Kirkuk one day after being kidnapped by a group of unidentified armed men [Source: Iraqi university sources to the BRussells Tribunal and CEOSI, 2 November 2007.]

Abdel Sattar Tahir Sharif: Lecturer at Kirkuk University. Department and college unknown. 75-years-old, he was assassinated 5 March 2008 by armed men in the district of Shoraw, 10 kilometres northeast of Kirkuk. [Source: Aswat Al-Iraq/ Voices of Iraq, 5 March 2008.]

NINEVEHMosul University

Abdel Yabar Al-Naimi: Dean of Mosul University’s College of Humanities.

Abdul Yabar Mustafa: PhD in political sciences, dean of Mosul University’s College of Political Sciences.

Abdul Aziz El-Atrachi: PhD in plant protection in the College of Agronomy and Forestry, Mosul University.

Eman Abd-Almonaom Yunis: PhD in translation, lecturer in the College of Humanities, Mosul University.

Jaled Faisal Hamid Al-Shijo: PhD and lecturer in the College of Physical Education, Mosul University.

Ahmad Hamid Al-Tai: Professor and head of Department of Medicine, Mosul University. Killed 20 November 2006 when armed men intercepted his vehicle as he was heading home. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources, 20 November 2006.]

Kamel Abdul Hussein: Lecturer and deputy dean of the College of Law, Mosul University. Killed 11 January 2007. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources, 23 January 2007.]

Talal Younis: Professor and dean of the College of Political Sciences. Killed on the morning of 16 April 2007 at the main entrance to the college. Within less than half an hour Professor Jaafer Hassan Sadeq of the Department of History at Mosul University was assassinated at his home. [Sources: CEOSI Iraqi university sources and Al-Mousl.]

Jaafer Hassan Sadeq: Professor in the Department of History of Mosul University’s College of Arts. Killed 16 April 2007 at home in the district of Al-Kafaaat, northwest of Mosul. Within less that half an hour, Professor Talal Younis, dean of Mosul University’s College of Political Sciences, was killed at the main entrance to the college. [Sources: CEOSI Iraqi university sources and Al-Mousl.]

Ismail Taleb Ahmed: Lecturer in the College of Education, Mosul University. Killed 2 May 2007 while on his way to college. [Source: Al-Mosul, 2 May 2007.]

Nidal Al-Asadi: Professor in the Computer Sciences Department of Mosul University’s College of Sciences. Shot dead by armed men in the district of Al-Muhandiseen, according to police sources in Mosul. [Sources: INA, 2 May 2007, and Iraqi sources to the BRussells Tribunal, 3 May 2007.]

Jalil Ibrahim Ahmed al-Naimi: Director of the 'Sharia’ Department (Islamic Law), Mosul University. He was shot dead by armed men when he came back home (in Mosul) from University, 30 January 2008. [Sources: CEOSI and BRussells Tribunal University Iraqi sources, al-Quds al-Arabi, 31 de enero de 2008.]

QADISIYADiwaniya University

Hakim Malik Al-Zayadi: PhD in Arabic philology, lecturer in Arabic literature at Al-Qadisyia University. Dr Al-Zayadi was born in Diwaniya, and was killed in Latifiya when he was traveling from Baghdad 24 July 2005.]

Mayed Husein: Physician and lecturer at the College of Medicine, Diwaniya University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Omar Fakhri: PhD and lecturer in biology at the College of Sciences, Basra University.

Saad Alrubaiee: PhD and lecturer in biology at the College of Sciences, Basra University.

Yaddab Al-Hajjam: PhD in education sciences and lecturer at the College of Education Sciences, Basra University.

Zanubia Abdel Husein: PhD in veterinary medicine, lecturer at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Basra University.

Jalil Ibrahim Almachari: Lecturer at Basra University. Department and college unknown. Killed 20 March 2006 after criticizing in a public lecture the situation in Iraq. (Arabic Source: Al-Kader.]

Abdullah Hamed Al-Fadel: PhD in medicine, lecturer in surgery and deputy dean of the College of Medicine at Basra University. Killed in January 2006 (exact date unknown). [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources.]

Fuad Al-Dajan: PhD in medicine, lecturer in gynecology at the College of Medicine, Basra University. Killed at the beginning of March 2006 (exact date unknown). [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources.]

Saad Al-Shahin: PhD in medicine, lecturer in internal medicine at Basra University’s College of Medicine. Killed at the beginning of March 2006 (exact date unknow). [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources.]

Jamhoor Karem Khammas: Lecturer at the College of Arts, Basra University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Karem Mohsen: PhD and lecturer at Department of Agriculture, College of Agronomy, Basra University. Killed 10 April 2006. He worked in the field of honeybee production. Lecturers and students called for a demonstration to protest for his assassination. [Source: Al-Basrah, 11 April 2006.]

Waled Kamel: Lecturer at the College of Arts at Basra University. Killed 8 May 2006. Other two lecturers were injured during the attack, one of them seriously. [Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 9 May 2006.]

Ahmad Abdul Kader Abdullah: Lecturer in the College of Sciences, Basra University. His body was found 9 June 2006. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 10 June 2006.]

Kasem Yusuf Yakub: Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Basra University. Killed 13 June 2006 at the university gate. [Sources: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 14 June 2006 and Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 16 June 2006.]

Kathum Mashhout: Lecturer in edaphology at the College of Agriculture, Basra University. Killed in Basra in December 2006 (exact date unknown). [Source: CEOSI Iraqi university sources, 12 December 2006.]

Mohammed Aziz Alwan: Lecturer in artistic design at the College of Fine Arts, Basra University. Killed by armed men 26 May 2007 while walking in the city. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 1 June 2007.]

Firas Abdul Zahra: Lecturer at the College of Physical Education, Basra University. Killed at home by armed men 18 July 2007. His wife was injured in the attack. [Source: Iraqi university sources to the BRussells Tribunal, 26 August 2007.]

Muayad Ahmad Jalaf: Lecturer at the College of Arts, Basra University. Kidnapped 10 September 2007 by a group of armed men that was driving three cars, one of them with a government license plate. He was found dead in a city suburb the next day. [Source: Iraqi university sources to the BRussells Tribunal, 12 September 2007.]

Khaled Naser Al-Miyahi: PhD in medicine, Professor of neurosurgery at Basra University. He was assassinated in March 2008 (exact date unknown). His body was found after his being kidnapped by a group of armed men in the streets of Basra. There were no ransom demands, according to information provided by Baghdad’s Center for Human Rights. [Source: Al-Basrah, 12 March 2008.]

Technical Institute of Basra

Mohammed Kasem: PhD in engineering, lecturer at the Technical Institute of Basra.

Sabah Hachim Yaber: Lecturer at the Technical Institute of Basra.

Salah Abdelaziz Hashim: PhD and lecturer in fine arts at the Technical Institute of Basra. Kidnapped in 4 April 2006. He was found shot dead the next day. According to other sources, Dr Hashim was machine-gunned from a vehicle, injuring also a number of students. [Sources: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 6 April 2006, Az-Zaman, 6 April 2006, and Al-Quds Al-Arabi, 7 April 2006.]

TIKRITTikrit University

Basem Al-Mudares: PhD in chemical sciences and lecturer in the College of Sciences, Tikrit University. His body was found mutilated in the city of Samarra 21 July 2004.

Fathal Mosa Hussine: PhD and professor at the College of Physical Education, Tikrit University.

Mahmud Ibrahim Hussein: PhD in biological sciences and lecturer at the College of Education Sciences, Tikrit University.

Mojbil Achaij Issa Al-Jabouri: Lecturer in international law at the College of Law, Tikrit University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Damin Husein Al-Abidi: Lecturer in international law at College of Law, Tikrit University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Harit Abdel Yabar As Samrai: PhD student at the College of Engineering, Tikrit University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Farhan Mahmud: Lecturer at the College of Theology, Tikrit University. Disappeared after being kidnapped 24 November 2006. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 26 November 2006.]

Mustafa Khudhr Qasim: Professor at Tikrit University. Department and college unknown. His body was found beheaded in Al-Mulawatha, eastern Mosul, 21 November 2007. [Sources: Al-Mosul, 22 November 2007, and Iraqi university sources to the BRussells Tribunal and CEOSI, 22-25 November 2007.]

Taha AbdulRazak Al-Ani: PhD in Islamic Studies, he was professor at Tikrit University. His body was found shot dead in a car on a highway near Al-Adel, a Baghdad suburb. Also, the body of Sheikh Mahmoud Talb Latif Al-Jumaily, member of the Commision of Muslim Scientists, was found dead in the same car last Thursday afternoon, 15 May 2008. [Source: CEOSI Iraqi sources, 21 May 2008.]

DIYALABaquba University

Taleb Ibrahim Al-Daher: PhD in physical sciences, professor and dean at the College of Sciences, Baquba University. Killed 21 December 2004.

Lez Mecchan: Professor at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed 19 April 2006 with his wife and another colleague. [Sources: DPC and EFE, 19 April 2006.]

Wife of Professor Lez Mecchan, also assassinated. Both were killed with another colleague 19 April 2006. [Sources: DPC and EFE, 19 April 2006.]

Salam Ali Husein: Taught at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed 19 April 2006 with two other colleagues. [Sources: DPC and EFE, 19 April 2006.]

Meshhin Hardan Madhlom Al-Dulaimi: Professor at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed at the end of April, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 10 May 2006.]

Abdul Salam Ali Al-Mehdawi: Professor at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed at the end of April, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 10 May 2006.]

Mais Ganem Mahmoud: Lecturer at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed at the end of April, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 10 May 2006.]

Satar Jabar Akool: Lecturer at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed at the end of April, according to the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 10 May 2006.]

Mohammed Abdual Redah Al-Tamemmi: Lecturer in the Department of Arabic Language and head of the College of Education, Baquba University. Killed 19 August 2006 together with

Professor Kreem Slman Al-Hamed Al-Sadey, 70 years old, of the same Department. A third lecturer from the same department escaped the attack carried out by a group of four armed men Students and lecturers demonstrated against his and other lecturers’ deaths. [Source: World Socialist, 12 September 2006, citing the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman, CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 25 December 2006.]

Karem Al-Saadi: Lecturer at Baquba University. Department and college unknown. Killed August 2006. Students and lecturers demonstrated against his and other lecturers’ deaths. [Source: World Socialist, 12 September 2006, citing the Iraqi newspaper Az-Zaman.]

Kreem Slman Al-Hamed Al-Sadey: Professor in the Department of Arabic Language at the College of Education, Baquba University. He was 70 years old when killed 19 August 2006. In the attack Mohammed Abdual Redah Al-Tamemmi, head of Education Department was also killed. A third lecturer from the same department escaped the attack of a group of four armed men. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 25 December 2006.]

Hasan Ahmad: Lecturer in the College of Education, Baquba University. Killed 8 December 2006. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, December 2006.]

Ahmed Mehawish Hasan: Lecturer in the Department of Arabic at the College of Education, Baquba University. Killed in December (exact date unknown). [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 25 December 2006.]

Walhan Hamid Fares Al-Rubai: Dean of the College of Physical Education, Baquba University. Al-Rubai was shot by a group of armed men in his office 1 February 2007. According to some sources his son was also killed. [Source: Reuters and Islamomeno, 1-3 February 2007 respectively, and CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 2 February 2007.]

Abdul Ghabur Al-Qasi: Lecturer in history at Baquba University. His body was found by the police 10 April 2007 in Diyala River, which crosses the city, with 31 other bodies of kidnapped people. [Source: Az-zaman, 11 April 2007.]

Jamal Mustafa: Professor and head of the History Department, College of Education Sciences, Baquba University. Kidnapped at home in the city of Baquba 29 October 2007 by a group of armed men driving in three vehicles. [Source: Iraqi university sources to the B Russells Tribunal, 30 October 2007.]

Al-ANBARRamadi University

Abdel Karem Mejlef Saleh: PhD in philology, lecturer at the College of Education Sciences, Al-Anbar University.

Shahlaa Al-Nasrawi: Lecturer in the College of Law, Kufa University. Assassinated 22 August 2007 by members of a sectarian militia. [Source: CEOSI university Iraqi sources, 27 August 2007.]

Adel Abdul Hadi: Professor of philosophy, Kufa University’s College of Arts. Killed by a group of armed men 28 October 2007 when returning home from university. [Source: Iraqi university sources to the BRussells Tribunal, 30 October 2007.]

KARBALAUniversity of Karbala

Kasem Mohammed Ad Dayni: Lecturer in the Department of Psychology, College of Pedagogy, Karbala University. Killed 17 April 2006.

MOSULMosul University

Omar Miran: Baghdad University bachelor of law (1946), PhD in history from Paris University (1952), professor of history at Mosul University, specialist in history of the Middle East. Killed, along with his wife and three of his sons, by armed men in February 2006 (exact date unknown)

Noel Petros Shammas Matti: Lecturer at the College of Medicine, Mosul University. Married and father of two daughters. He was kidnapped and found dead 4 August 2006.

Muwafek Yahya Hamdun: Deputy dean and professor at the College of Agronomy, Mosul University. [Source: Al-Hayat, 28 February 2006.]

Natek Sabri Hasan: Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Mechanization and head of the College of Agronomy, Mosul University. [Source: Iraqi Association of University Lecturers report, March 2006.]

Abdul Kader Ali Abdullah: Lecturer in the Department of Arabic, College of Education Sciences, Mosul University. Found dead 25/26 August 2007 after being kidnapped five days before by a group of armed men. [Source: Iraqi sources to the BRussells Tribunal and CEOSI 26-27 August 2007.]

Unknown: Lecturer at Mosul University, killed in the explosion of two car bombs near campus, 1 October 2007. In this attack six other people were injured, among them four students. [Source: KUNA, 1 October 2007.]

OPEN UNIVERSITY

Kareem Ahmed Al-Timmi: Head of the Department of Arabic Language in the College of Education at the Open University. Killed in Baghdad, 22 February 2007

Mohammed Abd Al-Hussein Wahed: PhD in tourism, lecturer at the Institute of Administration.

Mohammed Saleh Mahdi: Bachelor in sciences, lecturer at the Cancer Research Centre. Killed November 2005.

INSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS

Emad Sarsam: PhD in surgery and member of the Arab Council of Medicine.

Faiz Ghani Aziz: PhD in agronomy, director general of the Iraqi Company of Vegetable Oil. Killed September 2003.

Isam Said Abd Al-Halim: Geologic consultant at the Ministry of Construction.

Kamal Al-Jarrah: Degree in English philology, researcher and writer and director general at the Ministry of Education.

Raad Abdul-Latif Al-Saadi: PhD in Arabic language, consultant in higher education and scientific research at the Ministry of Education.

Shakier Al-Jafayi: PhD in administration, head of the Department of Normalization and Quality at the Iraq Council.

Wajeeh Mahjub: PhD in physical education, director general of physical education at the Ministry of Education.

Wissam Al-Hashimi: PhD in petrogeology, president of the Arab Union of Geologists, expert in Iraqi reservoirs, he worked for the Iraqi Ministry of Petroleum.

UNIVERSITY AFFILIATION UNKNOWN

Amir Mizhir Al-Dayni: Professor of telecommunication engineering.

Khaled Ibrahim Said: PhD in physics.

Mohammed Al-Adramli: PhD in chemical sciences.

Mohammed Munim Al-Izmerly: PhD in chemical sciences. He was tortured and killed by US troops. His body was sent to the Baghdad morgue. The cause of death was initially registered as "brainstem compression".

Nafi Aboud: Professor of Arabic literature.

OTHER CASES

Khalel Al-Zahawi: Born in 1946, Al-Zahawi was considered the most important calligraphist in Iraq and among the most important in the Arab-Muslim world. He worked as a lecturer in calligraphy in several Arab countries during the 1990s. He was killed 19 May 2007 in Baghdad by a group of armed men. He was buried in Diyala, where he was born. [Source: BBC News, 22 May 2007. His biography is available on wikipedia.].